A brain dump about living and working on the edge of the social web.

10 posts from December 2006

December 30, 2006

This is our third day in Rome. It is very crowded with tourists and getting more so by the day. I figure that part of this is because Rome is always crowded with tourists and part of it is due to the fact that it's close to New Years.

We went to the Colosseum first on Thursday, the experience was totally disorienting. The line was long and we didn't have enough cash to get in so we bailed. There are people after you where ever you go around the big attractions. Selling crap, begging, barkering for restaurants, etc. Such a change from Siena. We went to the Forum and the ruins around the area, climbed up the hill of the capital and cruised around other places that I forget now.

Yesterday was all about the Vatican. We took the subway and walked into Saint Peters Square. It was crammed with people. In the center was a huge Italian styled nativity scene. St. Francis of Assisi started the idea of placing the nativity in an Italian setting and context. This way it seemed familiar to people. We waited in line to see the Vatican Museum with the Sistine Chapel being the ultimate destination. I'm reading an interesting book about Pope Julius the second and Michaelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. It's pretty amazing that so much important work all happened within a few years around 1500. I like reading about old school popes. They usually had children from several women, some liked to invite prostitutes up to their apartment and some liked to dress up as women... Julius had several children and was the "nephew" of a previous pope. He made have been the actual nephew or maybe the son. But it's no coincidence that the word "nepotism" is from the Italian word for "nephew." Julius was also a tyrant but he commissioned some the greatest art of all time. It never fails that from tyranny and struggle comes great art.

Later we went to St. Peter's Basilica and the burial area of several popes including John Paul II and St. Peter himself. The Basilica is too big for its own good. Again, very crowded. The lighting was poor and there is no real sinage or information about the various areas of the church. This is also the way it is in the Vatican Museum. You could be looking at something very significant or historical and you wouldn't know it.

Today was the Pantheon, lunch, and this Internet store. Next we'll go to Campo di Fiori. Jane bought some sweet boots. Okay... time's running out. We've taken more than 600 photos, so expect to see those on Flickr when we return. Tomorrow is New Years Eve... if it's like all of the other nights we've spent here, we'll be in bed by 9PM... we'll see. Oh and I got to scare the hell out of a guy in his underwear last night... he was trying to get into a room next to us and kept knocking on the door. No one was going to let him in. About 1 AM I got up and told him to get lost. I forget that I can be a little intimidating sometimes. The guy whimpered and ran away like a puppy.

December 27, 2006

This morning we're off to Rome. Taking the train from Siena. Yesterday we drove east to Cortona. Cortona is the oldest city in Tuscany and it sits high on a hill. The view of the valley was especially good.

I know that I have not posted any of the photos yet. Internet access has been hard to find. Especially one that I can use my own computer. I hope Rome will be a bit different.

I know Rome will be different than Siena. Here it is so mellow and peaceful. We've been spoiled in that we've been here on the two quietest days of the year, but even so, Rome is going to be a buzzsaw.

December 26, 2006

Christmas morning, the kids woke up early. We had breakfast here at the borgo, then rented a car. A Smart Car. The one we have seats four. All of the cars are tiny here and run on diesel.

We drove around Tuscany and saw what all the fuss is about. It's very beautiful here. It feels a lot like California. The air, landscape, vibe... lots of familiarity. We went to several of the small towns around Siena. Most of them, I can't spell without help, so I won't bother. But look on a map and go just north west of Siena and you can see where we were.

Isaac got tired pretty fast. Getting up early didn't help. We made a decision early that we wouldn't "power travel", meaning that we wanted the kids to enjoy themselves so we won't overwhelm them. But we were out in the middle of no where trying to find a place to eat on Christmas. Most everything is closed the 25th and 26th. After our 3rd town, I could hear my great grandmother being channeled through the boy. "If you've seen one medieval fortified Tuscan village, you've seen them all." I'm paraphrasing.

We found a restaurant. One of the challenges here is trying to translate the menu. Sometimes there are English descriptions, but often not. So we have to try to look up different words in our books or try to ask the waiter what this or that is. Not everything is spaghetti, pizza, or lasagna. So we were sitting at the table looking over the menu and Jane asked what one of the items happened to be. The waiter paused... lowered his head, and spoke in a hushed tone so the children could not hear... "It is ah... Bambi."

Today we still have the car. We are going to go out to Assisi maybe, or maybe not. Tomorrow we pack it up and take a train down to Rome.

December 24, 2006

Today is Christmas Eve and we are in beautiful Siena. We have a country apartment just outside of town. It really is as good as they say. So much more peaceful than Florence and the perfect place for an Italian Christmas.

We didn't go to Pisa the other day. It was going to take too long and the kids decided that they'd rather hang out in Florence. So we had a nice Tuscan dinner instead.

Siena hasn't changed in 800 years or more. It's a walled in city with stone streets and that go up and down hills and wind through medieval buildings. It really is amazing. Everyone is friendly and happy to be here. It's not difficult to imagine why.

As we've been here, we are getting indoctrinated into the Italian Christmas traditions. They go all out. They have Santa Claus (Bappo Natale) but he uses a latter or a rope to climb into windows to deliver gifts. Much more sensible when you think about it. The original Santa is from Italy or Greece. He would throw money through a window so the daughters of a pretty bad dad could pay him off instead of being sold to slavery.

They also have some kind of witch character that flies around and delivers gifts on the epiphany. January 6th. Witches are cool.

This afternoon we will be going into town to tour the Duomo and then look around before our dinner at 7:30. The traditional Christmas Eve meal centers around a female eel. I'm just going with the flow.

December 21, 2006

Yesterday we went to see Michaelangelos David. The statue was moved some time ago from the main piazza near the uffizi to the Academia. Essentially an art school. This school is still there. It was started in the mid 1500's. (oh look i found the apostrophe on this foreign keyboard!) David was completed in 1504. Anyhow... a funny thing about this place is that many of the main attractions are hidden down alleys or back streets in nondescript medieval buildings and no discernible sinage. Here we have the most important sculpture in the world down some cobbled street and through a plain wooden door on the left next to a small grocery store. I kinda like that, but it takes some getting used to.

The statue itself does need to be seen in person to be appreciated. The veins in the arms, the back muscles, the hands. The glorious pubic hair.

Afterwords we rode down closer to the center of the city. I found a pair of used Levis 501's at the street market. They fit perfectly, so at least I could change my pants. I even haggled the price down.

When we got back to the hotel, all of the luggage except mine had arrived. The kids were so happy. My bag came today. No worse for wear. The children's gifts still there. Everything is back to normal. We'll have to find room for the extra clothes we purchased. The experience sure made us appreciate the little things.

Today we took off on the scooters across the Arno river and up into the hills above Florence. The view was terrific, but it was bitterly cold.

Thoughts on driving in Italy: It seems that everyone on the road believes that nothing will ever get in their way at any time for any reason. So they drive as fast as possible as if they have an invisible shield around them for protection. It may have something to do with religion or it could have something to do with an understanding of odds. The chances are pretty good that nothing will get in their way at any given moment, so why worry about it? So people drive insanely fast down insanely tight one way streets. Trucks, buses, scooters... the alley may be 10 feet across, so why not go 50 mph?

Pedestrians are like this too. It's the same mentality. You'd think that they'd be on the losing end of this game of chicken, but that doesn't stop them. Today, I was doing my best to keep up with the race, weaving around the lane, when a lady pushing a stroller just walks right out in front of me, somehow knowing that I saw her and was going to react. She put the life of her baby in my hands as she crossed the street. Again, odds are that nothing will happen to the baby, so why not go ahead and get where you want to go a second or two earlier...?

On top of all this, the streets go every which way. Every street is one way and it is never the "way" you want to go. So you have to go blocks out of your way just to go in the desired direction. When we rented the scooters, the woman said that she would give us her new ones. These new ones had 25,000 kilometers on them. I understand why now. It takes eight km to go two. In Florence there are no right turns.

Another thing about survival here is that the sidewalks are all about two feet wide. People going in both directions on these tight ropes just hug the wall or jump out into the street when someone passes by. You become hyper aware of every direction when going from A to B.

Oh and here's a tip. Never ever, under any circumstances accidentally put diesel fuel into an unleaded only scooter gas tank. You won't get very far...

Tomorrow is Pisa and laundry. Then Saturday we are off for our little Christmas in Siena.

December 20, 2006

well it is wednesday morning. still no luggage. everyone we have spoken with about this says that it is usually three days. that would be today. we have been spending a lot of time in shops getting provisions. underwear, socks, toiletries, kids clothes, clothes for jane and i. I am having some trouble because Italians do not usually come in my size. I got something that fit last night, but I think they are pajamas. the are comfortable at least.

The uffizi was fantastic. Saw the Birth of Venus, etc. etc. And there is a great exhibit on Leonardo. But the Duomo (cathedral) was unreal. Breathtaking really. I have never imagined such a building.

Today after the childrens store opens we will go on our scooters to where michaelangelos David is. Then around the city center. We may also drive up to Fisole where there are some cool Roman ruins.

The worst thing about the luggage is that we had the kids christmas presents in there. I am really sad about that. I hope we will have good news today.

December 18, 2006

its been a bit crazy. the biggest problem is that our luggage (backpacks) is lost. it has been almost 48 hours and no sign. also there was also no record of our hotel reservation here. we got a room fine and are now triple checking our other destinations.

we rented scooters yesterday. Florence is a much bigger city than i imagined. very busy. cars everywhere, scooters everywhere. Rome must be nuts. we will have the scooters until Thursday. Friday we go to Pisa, Saturday off to sienna.

today we go to the ufizzi. this will be our first real day of being tourists. we may also have to buy a whole new wardrobe. ugh and some kind of luggage. i hope they find our stuff.

internet is pretty limited. i hope to find a good internet cafe where i can use my mac. im using the hotels computer now. i also can not find the apostrophe on this crazy Italian keyboard.

December 12, 2006

Italy in three days. I'm looking forward to the 14 hour flight. I never thought I'd think that, but to have all that time to do absolutely nothing seems like a luxury. I'll read, listen to music, catch up on podcasts... maybe play some Nintendo DS. Freedom at 30,000 feet.

I just need a break. I haven't had a real vacation in 7 years. I've been on long weekends, and 5 - 7 day road trips, but nothing this substantial. There's always work to do. I've written about that before, and my feeling's are still the same. But with this trip, this trip is different. I've been planning it for a year. It's paid for. I originally planned it for the holiday time because at Yahoo! Shopping, it's the slowest two weeks of the year. Not so with Wink, but there's not much I can do about that...

The past two years, those two weeks have been creative high points. It's usually time that I can think about the bigger picture. Maybe that will still happen in Italy, or maybe I'll just eat my gelato and shut up.

December 05, 2006

It seems my friends at Yahoo! are waiting with baited breath over what might be announced tonight or tomorrow. I'm sure that some of the rumors are true. Dan R. leaving... (maybe to pursue a career in politics? It's possible, and he'd be great at it. I'd vote for him.) Terry leaving. Lloyd leaving (hopefully, the guy seemed Lost... pun intended). Sue taking over more. Fresh CEO. Shut down Yahollywood. 20% reduction...

We shall see.

I haven't commented on the whole peanut butter thing. It's not really my place. But what Brad described in his email touches on most of the reasons why I decided to leave Y!. Even his passion for the company rang true. I've said that my blood runs purple and yellow as well. So I can understand his frustration and his need to express it.

I left because it was very difficult to get anything done. There were way too many hoops and approvals and layers to for me to feel like I could truly innovate. At the same time, few people took responsibility for the problem. I left because it was almost impossible to move up. There was a pervasive insecurity that kept Y! looking outside for leadership instead of inside-- especially at the Director and VP levels. This meant that people at my level were roadblocked. They kept hiring on more layers. I remember being in a QA meeting, trying to launch a product, with my boss's boss's boss. My boss and my boss's boss were there as well. It's a good thing that my direct reports weren't there because time would have stopped and the universe would have collapsed into itself. Because of these issues and more, many creative, passionate, and driven people have left, or are about to leave. All that will remain are people that think that what they do is "just a job." ... not good.

Just as I'm writing this, the news has come in. At least part of it. Dan R. is leaving. Lloyd is leaving. Terry is staying. They seem to be splitting the COO role into two. Sue taking over all of the money... sales, etc. and they are going to hire someone to run the product. No reductions right now, at least nothing major. I bet there will be more strategic cutting of fat in the senior management level. One can hope anyway.

I don't revel in Yahoo's struggle. I really do love that company. I want them to succeed in every way. I believe in them. But they've lost their focus. I've been saying that for a long time. Long before I ever left.

If for some reason I actually had a say in the direction of the company, it would go something like this:

Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Concentrate on your core products. Search, Mail, News, IM, My Yahoo!, Mobile, and sales/advertising. Keep profitable vertical properties, but spin them off into their own brands. Please remember, and this is important... Not everything needs to be "Yahoo! this" and "Yahoo! that!" Putting the red Yahoo! in front of the service name does more harm than good, in my opinion. Why? Because people have a difficult time differentiating services. Because it's more difficult for people to identify with an uber brand. Because people need to hang their hat on that single thing a company/brand does. ie. Google=Search, Ebay=Auctions, Microsoft=Software, Fox=TV, Coca-Cola=Bubbly Beverage, etc. Yes, all of these companies do way more than that one thing, but in order for a brand to succeed, there needs to be an appearance of focus. I think a good example of this is when Launch turned into Yahoo! Music. Launch was a great brand in the Internet music space... they worked hard to build it. Yahoo! Music? What's that? It would be as if YouTube became Google Video. Or Blogger became Google Blogs. Boooring! Not that these are the best examples, they just came to mind. Spinning out verticals would foster more innovation and speed up development.

If I had a say, I would want Yahoo! to start thinking like a technology company again. Not an entertainment company. Innovation and being smarter than everyone else is where the action is. Embrace your inner geek again Yahoo!

I also feel that the Yahoo! homepage has rapidly deteriorated over the past 18 months into a sensationalistic mess. I'm not talking about the design, I'm talking about the editorial approach and voice. The page continues to promote lowbrow or ridiculous distractions instead of legitimate information or areas that drive revenue. Britney Spears' cooch, the 9, magic tricks, decorating tips, etc. These "features" distract users from their original intent for visiting the site; either to search, get mail, shop, etc. All of which are optimized for making cash and depend on the homepage to drive their business. Plus, last I heard, there was a war going on.

I think that's all I have to say right now. I need to drive home to Santa Cruz. Y! will be better for these changes and this time of self reflection. The new year is around the corner, it's a good time to reboot.

Obligatory Introduction

I'm David Beach and this is my blog. I'm a Product Manager, Information Architect, and founder of 12seconds.tv. I work for eBay Mobile. I'm also surviving lung cancer. This site is about my life online and some other junk... enjoy ;)